The present invention relates to rollers for input devices, and in particular relates to a roller configured to provided variable speed scrolling in response to varying forces applied to the roller.
Traditional input devices, such as mice and track balls, do not provide x-scrolling of graphical displays displayed on a monitor. X-scrolling refers to the left and right (or horizontal) scrolling directions of graphical objects displayed on a monitor as compared with the up and down (or vertical) scrolling directions. The up and down scrolling directions on a monitor are traditionally referred to as the y-scrolling directions. Scrolling control along the x-axis of a monitor is desired for scrolling objects, such as a page of text or the like, that extend beyond the horizontally displayable width of the monitor. Traditionally, x-scrolling has been controlled by positioning a pointing device on a left or right x-scrolling button and “clicking” on one of the buttons or selecting an x-scrollbar with a pointer and dragging the x-scrollbar in an x-axis direction. These traditional x-scrolling techniques require multiple user manipulations of traditional pointing devices and graphical user interface (GUI) tools to effect x-scrolling and tend to be time consuming and awkward.
Other control devices designed to control scrolling include devices described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/184,000 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0025673), filed Feb. 6, 2003, titled “Input Device Including a Wheel Assembly For Scrolling an Image In Multiple Directions,” and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/843,794 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002,0158844), filed Apr. 30, 2001, titled “Input Device Including a Wheel Assembly For Scrolling an Image In Multiple Directions,” owned by Microsoft Corporation.
It is desirable to have an improved input device that provides y-scrolling, x-scrolling, and that is easy to use and manufacture.